Orphans of Wonderland Read Online Free PDF

Katelyn straightened her posture and a cool detachment slowly overtook her. “I never believed in these kinds of things before. But my father wasn’t a drunk or a drug addict. He wasn’t mentally ill. He was experiencing something, and I believe it led to his murder.”
    Joel folded his hands and placed them in front of him so Katelyn wouldn’t see them shaking. “The human mind is complex.”
    â€œSo is evil.”
    â€œNo, in my experience it’s actually pretty straightforward.”
    â€œI want to know what happened to my father.”
    â€œHe was murdered by a person, possibly persons, who haven’t been caught yet. And while I certainly hope this isn’t the case, it’s possible they never will be. It’s not like on TV, where homicides are solved in sixty minutes every week. In the real world thousands of murders go unsolved, and stay that way. It’s tragic, and I’m terribly sorry this happened to Lonnie. I always will be. But your father’s gone, and no amount of investigation is ever going to bring him back. Let the police do their job. If you’re not satisfied with their conclusions, or lack thereof, hire a private investigator or try to get an investigative journalist on it. But I’m not your guy on this. I’m sorry. I’m out of the game, and I plan to stay that way.”
    â€œI’ve come a long way, drove over four hours to see you. There’s more I can tell you, but it seems pointless if you have no intention of getting involved. Isn’t there anything I can do or say that will convince you to help me?”
    â€œI can’t do this. I’m sorry.”
    She opened her purse, retrieved a computer disk from it and placed it on the coffee table. “I’ve put everything I have, all the information and documentation regarding his murder, on this disk, along with my contact information. Maybe you could just take a look at it when you have a moment. If you change your mind, contact me soon as possible. My husband is an accountant and I’m not working yet, so we don’t have a lot of money, but of course I’d be willing to pay for your services. There was an insurance policy. Ten thousand. Most went toward funeral—”
    â€œThis isn’t about money,” he told her.
    â€œNo,” she said, rising from the couch. “It isn’t.”
    â€œKatelyn—”
    â€œThank you for seeing me.” She extended her hand. “And for the tea.”
    Joel shook her hand. Her palm was warm. “I’m very sorry for your loss, and I wish I could be more help to you.”
    With a curt nod, she crossed the room and slipped out the front door. It closed behind her with a dull thud.
    He went to the bay window and watched as she followed the walkway to her car. Once there, she hesitated and looked back at the house.
    Joel stepped away from the window.
    When he looked again, Katelyn Burrows was gone.

Chapter Four
    After another hour of shoveling, Joel spent the next two tidying up the house and readying things for dinner that evening. The disk Katelyn had left on the coffee table in the living room taunted him the entire time. He passed by it several times, assuring himself he’d grab it, put it away somewhere and, at one point or another down the road, take a look at it. Until then, he’d do his best to forget about the disk, because if Taylor learned what this was about or who and why Katelyn had come to see him, she’d hit the ceiling. And who could blame her? That was the last thing he needed. But he felt terrible about Lonnie, and kept picturing his old friend in his mind. They’d been so close once—all those years before—he and Lonnie and the other guys in their little circle, Sal, Dorsey and Trent, buddies since junior high, and though they’d drifted apart and gone their separate ways as they got older, it still seemed impossible that one of them could